Milestones

Meghan Montoya, of Los Alamos, and a junior at the College of William and Mary, is one of 44 undergraduate students accepted into the 2013 Harvard Stem Cell Institute Internship Program, which provides participants with a challenging summer research experience in a cutting-edge stem cell science laboratory.
Montoya was connected to the HSCI through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Exceptional Research Opportunities Program.
She is spending 10 weeks in the Joslin Diabetes Center. Her project is to identify factors produced by fibroadipogeneic precursors — cells that mature into connective tissue or fat cells — that regulate stem cell differentiation into skeletal muscle.

Ashley Montoya, of Los Alamos has been accepted into the Human Medical Genetics and Genomics Ph.D. program at the University of Colorado, Denver Anschutz Medical Campus for the Fall 2013 semester. Montoya graduated from Los Alamos High School in 2004 and The University of New Mexico in 2008. She is the daughter of Lawrence and Yvonne Montoya of White Rock.

NEW YORK (AP) — Dennis Farina, a onetime Chicago cop who as a popular character actor played a TV cop on "Law & Order" during his wide-ranging career, has died.

Death came Monday morning in a Scottsdale, Ariz., hospital after Farina suffered a blood clot in his lung, according to his publicist, Lori De Waal. He was 69.

For three decades, Farina was a character actor who displayed remarkable dexterity, charm and toughness, making effective use of his craggy face, husky frame, ivory smile and ample mustache. He could be as dapper as Fred Astaire and as full of threat as Clint Eastwood. His gift has been described as wry, tough-guy panache, and audiences loved him for it.

"Sometimes you can take those dramatic roles and maybe interject a little humor into them, and I think the reverse also works," Farina said in a 2007 interview with The Associated Press. "One of the funny things in life to me is a guy who takes himself very seriously."

Farina's many films include "Saving Private Ryan," (1998), "Out Of Sight" (1998), "Midnight Run" (1988), "Manhunter" (1986), and his breakout and perhaps most beloved film, "Get Shorty" (1995), a comedic romp where he played a Miami mob boss.

July 6 — A girl, Adele Elyse Valdez, born to Alexandria S. Romero and Franchesco Valdez
July 11 — A boy, Orlando Wayne Lopez, born to Waynette and Orlando Lopez
July 11 — A girl, Samantha Alexis Romero, born to Denise and Fermin Romero

Keyla Tumas, of Los Alamos and a biology major in the class of 2013, was named to the Dean’s list in Ithaca College’s School of Humanities and Sciences for the Spring 2013 semester. She also graduated from Ithaca College in May.

Maslyn Locke, of Los Alamos was named to University of Kansas Spring 2013 Honor Roll. Locke is a senior studying global and international studies. She was named to the honor roll for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
The honor roll comprises undergraduates who meet requirements in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and in the schools of allied health, architecture, design and planning, business, education, engineering, journalism, music, nursing, pharmacy and social welfare.

June 22 — A boy, Felix Merle Fellenz, born to Emily and David Fellenz
June 25 — A boy, Jeremiah Juan Romero, born to Carla and Juan Romero
June 28 — A girl, Makiah Grace Clark, born to Saree and David Clark
June 30 — A boy, Darius Hayden Torres-Martinez, born to Tamara Torres and Troy Martinez

David F. Cargo, a maverick Republican who became the youngest governor of New Mexico and served two terms in the turbulent 1960s, died Friday at the age of 84.

Cargo had been in an Albuquerque nursing home for about two years following a stroke, but he had remained active. He suddenly fell ill following a day of Fourth of July activities and died after being taken to an Albuquerque hospital, his son Patrick Cargo of Dallas told The Associated Press.

Cargo's son remembered his father's bigger-than-life personality, his humor and love for helping people.

"He was really one of a kind," the younger Cargo said. "We actually saw him last week. He was doing great, he had good energy and he looked really good. We were very thankful that we got to spend time with him."

Known as "Lonesome Dave," Cargo championed the film industry as economic development and established the first state film commission. He also was an early advocate of a policy for apportioning legislative seats that has altered the political landscape in New Mexico over several decades.

Los Alamos Chapter of Hadassah members Charlie Thorn and Andi Kron, were honored with the Los Alamos chapter of Hadassah as the top nonprofit organization in the Vecinos Volunteers program of 2012. These volunteers logged the highest number of hours of service of any group and were awarded $8,000. The award ceremony took place June 12 at Fuller Lodge.

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Colleen Fearey, of Los Alamos has earned Highest Honors for the spring semester of the 2012-2013 academic year at the University of New Hampshire. Students named to the Dean’s List are those who have earned recognition through their superior scholastic performance.

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Haley Ball, a 2012 graduate of Los Alamos High School made the Dean’s List for Spring 2013 in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Northern Arizona University.

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Adam Nekimken, of Los Alamos participated in Gonzaga University’s graduation exercises during the commencement ceremony on May 12 in Spokane’s Veterans’ Memorial Arena. Nekimken graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering.

June 2 — A boy, Aiden Deker Dye, born to Brandi Burnett and Kayden Dye
June 9 — A boy, Ollie Ethan Jacquez, born to Claire and Edward Jacquez
June 9 — A girl, Evelyn Rose Bauman, born to Carly and Jacob Bauman